Protest – The path of Ahlulbayt AS

As the Day of the demolition (اِنْهِدَام) of Jannat ul Baqee approaches and we are getting ready to stand up against the kingdom of evil, and protest in front of the Saudi Embassy in DC and in other places around the world, let us examine how this act of Protest is a part of the practice (سُنَّة) of the Holy household of the Prophet (as), let us start by observing the divine scripture in the Holy Quran,

And be not like her who unravels her yarn, disintegrating it into pieces after she has spun it strongly. You make your oaths to be means of deceit between you because (one) nation is more numerous than (another) nation. Allah only tries you by this, and He will most certainly make clear to you on the resurrection day that about which you differed.

This is the verse which the granddaughter of The Prophet (saw) recited in the middle of the town square of Kufa. This is a demonstration of an unyielding will of the most oppressed woman who became the refuge giving fortress to Islam and the Imam of the time. Her words struck the heart of the tyrants and weakened the will of the armies. This is the climax of a protest in the most distressed circumstances. But first…

What is a protest:

The act of protest in the context of Islam means to express an objection for a particular cause, or manifest one’s disapproval of an injustice to demand a change. The act of protest is to unmask the face of the tyrants and their evil policies and actions. There are two factors that become the lifeblood of the protest:

First is the nobility and righteousness of the one who is oppressed

Second is the intensity & longevity of the injustice imposed by the oppressor.

In the history of mankind there is no household more noble and righteous than the household of Prophet Muhammed (saw), and there is no oppression more intense and long lasting than the oppression done by the enemies of the household of the Prophet (as). The uniqueness of this family is that their nobility & righteousness is continuously reflecting to this day, and on the other hand the animosity and the tyranny of their enemies are transferred constantly from one generation to another.

Protest is to reveal the evil policy:

In the history of Islam, the first protest that took place was in the holy city of Medina just three days after the death of the Prophet (saw) in 632 AD. The people against whom the protest was done were enemies of Islam disguised as the companions (الصّحَابَة) of the Prophet (saw) for twenty-three years. The first person to stand in protest against these tyrants was Fatima Zehra (sa) – the only daughter of the Prophet (saw)!

The enemies of Islam had forged themselves as the companions of the Prophet (saw) and had no gravity towards Islam. Their evil conspiracies became their identity & ideology, and such identity & ideology cascaded in different clans & kingdoms in every age which Quran has labeled them as –

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوت

those who disbelieve, their guardians are at-Taghoot

The originators of the nation of at-Taghoot conspired against Islam & the holy household (as) with a vicious plan. The plan was to sever the chain of divine guidance that is established by Allah (swt), by undermining the authority of Imam Ali (as) as the rightful leader of the Muslim nation. The Muslim nation was ambushed and a totalitarian kingdom was established in the name of the caliphate. The children of the Prophet (saw) were gradually and systematically isolated from the public, and their rights were usurped and the house was attacked and burnt. However, the authority and the nobility that is granted by Allah (saw) to His Chosen family – who carries the task of guidance – cannot be wiped out from the face of this earth, as Quran says –

They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will perfect His light, though the unbelievers may be averse.

Protest is to remind the world of the evil actions:

In the first protest, Fatima Zehra (sa) stood with her housemaid – Umme Ayman in front of Abu Bakr (la), Umar (la) and their supporters – who withdrew their allegiance which they have given to Imam Ali (as), and trampled their promises which they had made to the Prophet (saw). The protest was against their authoritarian rule which they launched in the garb of religious Caliphate. The holy Lady (sa) stood bravely and looked right into the eyes of the enemy and exclaimed –

“As soon as his (Prophet) eyes were closed discord took birth and the adorned covering of the religion was shattered and the spirits of abominable men ascended audaciously, and those who were the most repulsive in nature clutched to power”

These were the words that later came to be known as the words of the sermon of Fadak, these words echoed in a place which was known to be a place of worship not too long ago but now have become a den of a despotic ruler.

Protest is to declare our maxims:

The holy Lady (sa) in the first protest defined the framework of a protest, and then exemplified what constitutes a protest. According to the grand scholar, Allamah Rasheed Turabi, the sermon of Fadak is a declaration of the Principles and Policies of the household of the Prophet (saw) against their enemies. The grand scholar says that in the light of this sermon, Imam Ali (as) protested later in the years over the tribulations that befell on his family in his famous sermon of As-Shiqshiqiyya. It is the same foundation on which Imam Hasan (as) delivered the sermon in the city of Mada’in, followed by Imam Husain (as) who protested in Karbala by continuing the sermon for his noble mother (sa).

Protest is to remind the tyrant of his crime:

Through the following words Fatima Zehra (sa) recorded the crimes of the tyrants in the books of history:

“My father was not yet lowered into the grave and you hasted (towards your aim) you cried out with the pretext that you are taking these steps (declaring Khilafah) because you are concerned about dissension (in the ummah) while in reality you were the cause of dissension”

After this statement, the Holy Lady (sa) read this verse –

وَإِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِيطَةٌ بِالْكَافِرِينَ

And most surely hell encompasses the unbelievers

Protest is to demand:

The final message of Fatima Zehra (sa) was summarized in her five questions during her protest. Knowing that these questions will not be answered, the intent was to register the complaint in the court of Allah (swt). The Holy Lady (sa) says –

“

Have you decided that you will exercise this rule of ignorance after Islam?

Have you decided to misinterpret the book of Allah? Is there any verse revealed in your opinion where my father and my husband are not mentioned in it?

Do you have more knowledge of the Qur’an than my father and his cousin?

Do you say that two people following two different religions cannot be each other’s heirs?

Is my religion and my father’s religions not the same?

”

These are not questions, rather an ideology being unveiled that will be followed by the tyrant rulers of the future, including the Saud family (la) of the Hijaz. The demolition of the grave of Fatima Zehra (sa) and her children is an expression of animosity towards a person who pioneered the protest and took a stand against all those who shall follow such ideology.

The last person who continued the sermon of the Fatima Zehra (as) was her daughter Sayyida Zainab (sa) protesting in the court of Yazid (LA) by delivering a sermon in the overpowering and roaring tone of her father. Zainab al-Kubra (sa) says –

“I swear by Him who gave us the book and honored us… O Yazid! you cannot wipe out our remembrance, you cannot ascend to OUR AIM, your days are few, it will not be too long before this gathering and this support shall disperse. Apparently, it seems to you that the army of Allah is defeated on the hands of the army of Shaitan? It is not but Allah’s plan.But I wait for that daywhen Allah is the ruler and Mohammed (saw) is your enemy.”

Protest ends with The Savior

The protest shall continue until the oppression continues, and a day shall soon dawn upon mankind when the son of Fatima Zehra (sa) shall come and raise the tyrants from their graves and take account of their atrocities as mentioned in Ghaybat an-Numani that Imam Ali (as) said:

“Blessed is the son of the best of the bondmaids! (meaning al-Qa’im from his sons) He will humiliate the arrogant and water them a bitter repugnant drink. His sword will kill them terribly. Then the arrogant of Quraysh wish if they could redeem themselves in the world and all that (they have done) be forgiven. He (al-Qa’im) will not stop until he pleases Allah.”

Therefore, stand by the teachings of Ahlul Bayt (as) and join the path of resistance, and protest against the nation of the tyrants.